UK Royal Navy warship HMS Argyll is ready to undergo a major £19m refit by Babcock International, based at Rosyth in Fife.

Under the one-year renovation contract, the missile system of the Type 23 Duke Class warship will be upgraded with a new electronic gun system known as the Sea wolf missile system.

The new Sea Wolf missile system will be fitted to the ship to sustain the capabilities of future missile developments and will increase the power and accuracy of the weapons.

In addition, the ship will be equipped with a new weapon control system, a new computer system, upgraded living quarters and a sonar upgrade.

UK MoD head of surface combatants Commodore Brian Archibald said the updated Sea Wolf weapons system could counter a target travelling at twice the speed of sound from over 20 miles away.

“The update is so advanced it will even guard against future missile developments,” he said.

HMS Argyll conducts a wide range of tasks including anti-piracy and anti-smuggling activities, disaster relief work and surveillance operations, particularly in the northern Arabian Gulf.